IditaProject Forum

Well, hopefully so. Our forum friend Alphashe is off to see Bjørnar Anderson and Kjetil Backen next weekend and might be able to ask them questions. She plans to bring whatever questions we can scrape together here at the forum by Tuesday, April 29th. I'll send her the questions by mail, and then she'll hopefully have some answers back when she returns May 5th

So! Please post all the questions you can think of!

Eskil

For those interested in supporting Team Norway, visit their website and order a Team Norway T-shirt!
http://www.hurdal.com/

First few I can think of Eskil....

Can we look forward to watching the "three amigoes" continue to participate in the Iditarod for many more years to come? Future Plans for Team Norway?

Any new additions possible if Robert (or one of the other 3)retires?(Sigrid? )

What is the hardest part about bringing the team overseas?

What is the biggest difference between the Iditarod and the Norwegian distance races?

Do dogs suffer from "jet-lag"? How do they handle such a long flight?

I'm wondering if Bjørnar ever thought about moving to Alaska and becoming a professional musher?

Will any of the lads be doing the Yukon Quest soon or would that be too much of a logistical effort?

Thanks Eskil and Alphashe for mediating correspondence between us and the beloved Team Norway!

Huge thanks to Kjetil and Bjornar !!! Heia Team Norway! Live Long and Prosper!

Kjetil ..
I was so happy your family accompanied you to Alaska to support and cheer you on, especially your 2 precious young children.
Did your family enjoy their Alaskan experiences? What were your family's most favorite Alaska experiences?

Which of your personal kennel dogs in your '08 Iditarod team were you the most pleased with and why?

What was your most interesting or amusing experience during the 2008 Iditarod?

The field of competition in the Iditarod has increased in quality for many reasons, including Team Norway's competitive influence. Are you changing previous training procedures and strategy because of the improved field of Iditarod competitors? Can you share any changes in race strategy or training you have initiated without giving away "secrets"?

Bjornar:
Congratulations to you and Lil on the birth of your precious son Marius! Much joy, good health and happiness to you!!

How do you keep a healthy balance between caring for your kennel critters, training for and competing in races, your job, and new family commitments and duties?

Will Lil and Marius be coming to Alaska next year to support and cheer Papa Bjornar?

Onkle Solv Rev keeps (closely) beating you in the Norwegian races. How frustrating is this to you? What more is it going to take for you to finally beat him consistently? Haha. Do you make silly wagers with each other in races you both compete in? Can you give an example of any mind games you play on each other?

Did you enjoy the new Amundsen race? Can you describe the Amundsen's unique challenges compared to the Femund?

Which of your personal canine athletes who ran with Kjetil in the '08 Iditarod are showing the most promise to compete in next year's Iditarod and why?

Bjornar/Kjetil ..

How do you personally prepare for extreme sleep deprivation and the mental/physical stress participating in the Iditarod and Finnmarkslopet?

Team Norway has built up an impressive and extensive support system in Norway and Alaska to participate in the Iditarod year after year, involving incredible personal efforts and sacrifices by everyone involved with TN.

What do each of you feel are the positive and negative payoffs of this huge commitment so far? Has it been worth all the hassles?

You must have tried out tail dragger sleds by now .. what do you think of them?

Have you experimented with Jeff King/ Mitch Seavey type harnesses on your dogs? If so, what did you think?

Last question ....Where can we ardent US TN fans buy Team Norway t-shirts?

Wow Dilli!
You outdid yourself!
What a great list of questions! Whew~! (Were you ever a reporter? )

and yes, we'd love to have some team N T-shirts!

What are Team Norway's plans for 2009?

Hi everyone...lots of interesting questions here...!!
As to the T-shirts; The TN crew are in these days working on the 2009 T-shirt. Will put info on hurdal later. Have a nice day!

I have another question: Do you share basically the same dog team? If so, are there special considerations with that? For instance, do the dogs bond more with one of you than the other, or do they respond to you all the same? Do each of you have favorite dogs that you work particularly well with?

gret questions all esp dilli and emwcee who beat me to some good ones

ok, heres a few for team norway

how do you fund team norways iditarods each year and how much does it cost?

is it from combined funds and personal funds put into a team account or is it purly sponsors and winnings?

do you guys get to keep your winnings or does it go back into the team norway fund?

how long do you train each year in AK before the race?